Frequent handwashes are an important part of a hygiene program for health care workers and food handlers. It is not unusual for such personnel to wash their hands twenty times a day or more. Many antiseptic products used in the settings are harsh and cause significant irritation upon repeated use. This leads to poor compliance by the personnel with required handwash guidelines. Thus, the present invention provides a highly effective antibacterial cleansing composition which is mild enough for frequent use.
Biguanide compounds, such as chlorhexidine salts, are mild antibacterial agents which have a strong affinity for binding to the skin. However, several formulation issues arise when producing compositions containing chlorhexidine. Since chlorhexidine is a cation it is incompatible with anionic materials and additionally can react with the counterion of some compatible cationic compounds to form a less soluble salt leading to precipitation of the chlorhexidine.
WO 95/31962 (Gojo Industries, Inc.) describes an antibacterial cleansing composition containing a salt of chlorhexidine and at least one nonionic surfactant which does not include any polyoxypropylene/polyoxyethylene copolymers. The composition is also described as containing at least one amphoteric surfactant and quaternary ammonium surfactants may optionally be added.
Biermann et al., (U.S. Pat. No. 4,748,158) relates to the use of alkylpolyglycoside as an agent used to increase the microbiocidal activity of biguanide compounds. The resulting biguanide compositions are useful in the oral health field, particularly in toothpaste and mouthwashes. The compositions may also contain numerous factors including nonionic, cationic, zwitterionic and amphoteric surfactants, as well as thickeners such as hydroxyethylcellulose.
WO 94/05753 owned by Henkel Corp. describes an aqueous disinfectant cleaning composition whose activity is increased by incorporating an effective amount of a compound having the formula (I): EQU R--O(--G).sub.n (I)
wherein R is an alkyl group having from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms, G is a saccharide residue having 5 or 6 carbon atoms; and n is a number from 1 to 10 into an aqueous composition which contains a compound of the formula II: EQU R.sub.2 R.sub.3 R.sub.4 R.sub.5 NX (II)
wherein R.sub.2 is a benzyl or C.sub.1-14 alkyl substituted benzyl group, and each of R.sub.3, R.sub.4, and R.sub.5 is independently an alkyl group having from about 8 to about 22 carbon atoms.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,919,837 issued to Gluck describes antiseptic cleaning compositions containing the salt of chlorhexidine in combination with at least one nonionic surfactant and a carrier wherein the weight ratio of the chlorhexidine salt to the nonionic surfactant is not more than 1:7.
Bectin Dickinson owns U.S. Pat. No. 5,164,107 which describes a surgical scrub containing chlorhexidine and nonylphenoxypoly (ethyleneoxy), ethanol surfactant in combination with other surfactant thickeners, etc. in an aqueous vehicle.
BASF owns U.S. Pat. No. 4,326,977 describing a skin cleaning compositions comprising chlorhexidine and a polyoxyethylene/polyoxybutylene block copolymer wherein the polyoxybutylene portion of the compound has a molecular weight of from 500 to 2000.
Accordingly, an antibacterial composition which is highly effective for killing bacteria and other microorganisms, but which is also mild enough for frequent use in a single day is described.